a place for all to shine and grow!
fumcn
O U R T E A C H E R S
All of FUMCN's teachers attend conferences and classes to stay current with educational trends and have taught workshops at State and Midwest levels.
Ms Susan
program director and lead teacher
Ms. Susan is happy to be back at FUMCN after a three year sabbatical in South Africa. Originally a FUMCN parent with 4 children attending, she began the FUMCN Young Fives program in 2006. This program featured small classes, hands-on learning and field trips throughout the community. In 2017, Ms. Susan taught kindergarten in South Africa, finishing as the Team Leader for the kindergarten program. Upon returning to the US, she returned to FUMCN, this time in the role of Program Director and Lead Teacher. With a Masters in Education, and a focus on science, Ms. Susan brings a love of the natural world to the classroom. This is evident in science topics such as rocks, tadpoles and insects that frequently are a part of our learning. Ms. Susan has been teaching for over 20 years, in a variety of places: Africa, Alaska, Detroit and Ann Arbor. She loves including a diversity of cultures and experiences in the classroom, as well as her personal life. In addition to traveling, Ms. Susan enjoys running, hiking, camping and has learned to crochet during the pandemic.
Ms Mary
homeroom teacher
Ms. Mary has been teaching at FUMCN since 2008. She attended CMU for her undergraduate and graduate degrees. Her studies focused on psychology and child development. Ms. Mary was employed as a school psychologist for 12 years prior to starting her own family and becoming involved at FUMCN. She believes a play-based, child-directed learning approach is most suitable for preschools. She enjoys creating an environment that fosters creativity, independence and a joy of learning. One of her favorite things about FUMCN is the partnership between the families and teachers and the community this creates. Ms. Mary’s two daughters attended FUMCN. She loves dogs and likes to hike, bike, golf, kayak, and read.
Ms Lisa
homeroom teacher
Ms. Lisa has been a teacher with FUMCN since 2010. Prior to staying home full time with her 3 children, Ms. Lisa worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist for over 10 years. Most recently, she worked with children on the autism spectrum and with other developmental or neurological disabilities. She continues to be particularly interested in social communication and the development of literacy skills (pre-reading) in young children. All 3 of Ms. Lisa’s children attended FUMCN with her youngest participating in the Young Fives program prior to her becoming a teacher here. The strong emphasis on learning through play and discovery, as well as the community atmosphere of FUMCN, in Ms. Lisa’s opinion, make it an ideal place to work. When she is not working, Ms. Lisa enjoys walking, reading, cooking, camping and being with her family and friends.
Ms Leigh
homeroom teacher
Ms Leigh is excited to begin teaching at FUMCN after having been a parent and board member at the co-
op for the past 2 years. She received her bachelor’s degree in Family and Community Services/Child
Development from Michigan State University and has been working in Early Childhood Education for the
past 20 years. Leigh has been a Teacher, School Age Administrator and Director for various children’s
programs in California, Minnesota and Michigan. She has always had a passion for working with young
children and truly believes in FUMCN’s learning philosophies as well as integrating parents and families
into the co-op classroom for lifelong learning. In her free time, she loves spending time outside with her
family, traveling, cooking, crafting and reading.โ
Ms Jess
homeroom teacher
Jess has a degree in Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College and an elementary education teaching license. Before having her daughter, Mae, she worked in a variety of settings where she was able to support children and families- a private Jewish preschool in Boston, a co-op preschool in New Hampshire, a multi-age kindergarten through second grade rural public school in Virginia, a multi-age kindergarten through fifth grade private school in Ann Arbor, and more. Jess believes that parents are a child's first and best teacher and loves the co-op model that FUMCN provides. Jess is deeply passionate about helping children learn about themselves and the world around them. During her free time, Jess can be found crafting, thrifting, and spending time outside. This will be Jess' second year at FUMCN as a parent and first year as a teacher. She's excited!
Ms Seday
assistant teacher
Seday arrived in the US two years ago from Bhutan, in the Himalayas. She speaks multiple languages from her own country, as well as Hindi and some Nepalese. Her daughter, Charlotte, attended FUMCN from 2023-2025. In that time Seday has enjoyed getting to know the FUMCN community and learning new things from the other teachers and other children. She is excited to be joining the FUMCN family where she can continue her growth in childhood education, and share her culture and experiences.
She enjoys taking her children for a walk in the woods outside her home, drawing and doing puzzles with them, and baking cakes. She is excited to share native Bhutanese cuisine with others, but cautions that it is very spicy.
Ms Gabby
fumc volunteer to fumcn
Ms. Gabby has been at FUMCN as a parent for two years and as FUMC Children’s Ministry volunteer since 2021, when the Two’s program was relaunched. Ms. Gabby has a Pedagogy (Early Childhood and Elementary Education) degree and a Masters in Psychology from University of São Paulo, in Brazil.
Besides loving being around the kids (and the sibling care babies) and watching their development throughout the year, she values the multicultural environment and the sense of community fostered by both FUMC and FUMCN.
Ms. Gabby loves reading books and making music with the kids. She also loves sharing aspects of the Brazilian culture and learning about FUMCN Community’s different cultures and traditions.
For fun, Ms. Gabby likes to spend time with her family and friends, reading, cooking, baking and enjoying the sun and water during Michigan’s summer time!
Ms Cassie
lead teacher
Ms. Cassie has been at FUMCN since 2019, when she worked in the sibling care room during her daughter's second year at the preschool. She completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology at the College of Wooster in Ohio before spending two years working as a preschool teacher at a school for children with autism. Realizing that she wanted this to be her lifelong career, Ms. Cassie completed her M.Ed at the University of Illinois at Chicago in Early Childhood Special Education. After getting married and moving to Ann Arbor, she worked at Clonlara School for six years as first the Youngers' classroom teacher and then as a homeschool advisor. When her youngest child was one and her oldest had started preschool, Ms. Cassie left Clonlara to stay at home with her kiddos. It didn't last long, though, as FUMCN pulled her in! In 2021, she was asked to lead the new class for 2 year olds, and has since been working to develop and grow the program. Ms. Cassie believes that humans should be free to feel and embrace all emotions, and that by helping little ones learn to navigate their big feelings and those of their peers, they can grow into kind and empathetic adults. In her free time, she likes woodworking, sewing, and being creative with her kids at home.
Ms Sarah
homeroom teacher
Ms. Sarah has been teaching at FUMCN since 2021 when the school launched the Two's Program. Her path to teaching preschool has been an interesting one! She first attended Carleton College in Minnesota where she majored in geology and moved to Ann Arbor to continue her geology education. After a few years studying fossils and rocks, Ms. Sarah was ready for a change and pivoted into nursing. She earned a Bachelor's in nursing at the University of Michigan and a Doctorate at Wayne State University. This was a rewarding career for many years.
Shortly after starting her family, the pandemic changed her career path yet again. She was working as a full-time mom when her son was a student at FUMCN. She began teaching at FUMCN and has LOVED it. She enjoys working with young children and watching them learn to navigate our world. Her mission is to provide a safe, nurturing environment where children can play, learn, and grow at their own pace. She still loves geology and the natural environment and loves to find ways to incorporate STEM subjects into the curriculum.
Ms. Sarah's hobbies include hiking with the dog, drinking coffee, and reading fiction when she gets a quiet moment.
Ms Meredith
parent playgroup coordinator
This is Ms. Meredith’s first year as the Coordinator of the FUMCN Family Playgroup! Meredith’s son attended FUMCN and she instantly fell in love with the community and play based approach to learning. When asked what makes FUMCN so special, it is the teachers and parents coming together to make children shine and grow. It’s magical!
Meredith has always had an innate love of working with young children and she completed both of her undergraduate and master’s degrees at Michigan State University in communication sciences and disorders. She is a certified preschool/elementary speech-language pathologist and has worked in the public schools for seven years before deciding to stay home with her two boys. She loves using play and literacy to foster and expand little one’s communication skills. Additionally, Meredith values parent education to develop language and play beyond the school setting.
When she is not working, Meredith loves being outside with her boys, exercising, sports, reading, cooking and a good cup of coffee.